Shoe rack



F. I. FRANCIA Sept. s, 1936.

SHOE RACKV Filed March 2, 1935 Patented Sept. 8, 1936 UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to a shoe rack, and more particularly to one adapted for home use and which may be mounted in closets, or other places, for compactly supporting a pair of shoes or a plurality of pairs of shoes. Y.

An object of thepresent invention is to provide a shoe rack for supporting a plurality of shoes in such manner as to exert endwise stretch to the shoes when on 'the rack.

Another object of the invention is to provi-de a shoe rack for supporting a plurality of pairs of shoes and which is so constructed that shoes may be readily applied to and removed from the rack.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a shoe rack for supporting a plurality of pairs of shoes and which rack is adjustable so as to accommodate shoes of different sizes.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a shoe rack comprising a plurality of pairs" of shoe supporting members, a member of a pair being adapted to yield when a shoe is applied to or removed from the members.

Another and yet further object of the present invention isto provide a racl structure, which may be mounted on a wall or a door, for supporting a plurality of pairs of shoes and slippers, with the shoes of the several pairs arranged in side by side relation.

The invention has for a further object the pro- Vision` of anl economical and eflicient rack for supporting a plurality of shoes and slippers and is especially adapted for use in a home.

Ihe above, other and furtherl objects of the present invention will be apparent from the folo lowing description, accompanying drawing, and

appended claims.

Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing., and the views thereof are as follows:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a rack, of one form, constructed inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation Vof the rack of Figure 1, looking at the right hand of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmental enlarged elevational view, 'showing the two members for supporting a shoe on the rack and showing certain parts in section.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view taken substantially in the plane indicated by line IV-IV of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmental elevational view of another form of the present invention.

The drawing will now be explained.

For exemplication of the present invention, a

(Cl. lil-4128.1)

skeleton rack is illustrated and herein de` scribed. The rack illustrated is fashioned with side members I and 2 at one sideor vertical margin of the rack, and 3 and 4 at the other vertical margin of the rack. Side members I and 2 are adjacent eachother but slightly separated to provide a slot 5 between them. The side members 3 .and I are similarly arrangedto provide a slot 6 between them. Connecting the upper ends of the members I-2 and 3-4 is a top bar l, and connecting the lower ends of the side members is a bottom bar 3. The bars I-2, 3 4, 'l and 8 are secured together in any suitable manner, such, for instance, as by screws 9.

The rack has herein been illustrated as constructed to accommodate six pairs of shoes, although it is to be understood that it may be constructed to accommodate more or less, as occasion demands.

Secured to the side frame members and spaced downwardly a slight distance from the top bar 'I is a cross bar Ill, secured to the side bars by screws II. Below the bar IIlvis a bar I2 adapted to slide vertically along the side bars of the frame. 4At each end of the bar I2 a bolt I3 passes through the slots formed by the side bars, Fig. 4 showing the bolt I3 passing through the slot 6. Underneath the head of the bolt is a washer I4 of suiicientdiameter toV bridge the slot. The bar i 2 is apertured to= receive the bolts, and wing nuts I5 are applied to the threaded portions of the bolts for securing the bar I2 in adjustedposition,V relatively to the height of the frame, as may be desired.

Another bar I6 is secured to the side frame members by screws I1, and below this is another sliding bar I8 supported in the side bars of the frame to slide in the same manner as described with referencel to. the bar I2. If desired, an intermediatel bar I9- may be secured to the side frame members as by screws 2i).

On the bars I0 and I5 are supported a plurality of pairs of members for engaging the toe portions of the supported' shoes. Such a pair of toe members is illustrated as consisting of two toe' blocks 2'I and 22 carried onthe ends of wires 23 bent into` substantially U-shape, with the connecting portion of the' wire secured as at 24 to the bars It) and I 6. The wires are substantially L'shapedv in side elevation. Such a pair of toe supports is made preferably as a unit, althoughvthe toe supports of a pair may, if desired, be made as separate items.`

Secured to the bar I2` and in vertical alignment with the several toe blocks of the toe members of the shoe supports are pins 25. The wires 23 are constructed of material having spring characteristics so as to yield whenever a shoe is applied to or removed from a pair of shoe supporting members, consisting of a block and a pin.

Fig. 3 shows, in dotted lines, a shoe applied to a pair of shoe engaging members, said pair consisting of a block and its pin. This figure shows the shoe stretched lengthwise when applied to the members, which stretch is accomplished by reason of the spring support for the block and also by proper positioning of the pin of the pair of shoe supporting members.

To accommodate shoes of any given size, the

wing nuts I5 of the bar I2 are loosened andfthen a shoe of the desired size is hooked over one of the toe blocks and over the particular pin 25 in register with such block, whereupon the bar I2 is moved in a direction away from the toe blocks to put the shoe under tensiongand when moved a sufcient 'distance vto tension the shoe, the wing nuts I5 are tightened. This then becomes the position of the bar I2 for that particular size of shoe.

`Shoes are applied to and removed from the rack, with the bar I2 in adjusted position as described, by hooking the shoes over the several toe blocks and then over the pins 25 in register with such blocks, the wires 23 yielding during the application of the shoes in the manner described and also yielding during removal of the shoes.

The lower portion of the rack may be adjusted in the manner described to accommodate shoes of the same size, or may be adjusted to receive shoes of a different size. The adjustment of the lower movable bar I8 is accomplished in the same manner as the upper bar I2 so as to support on the rack, on the lower shoe supporting members, shoes of the same or different size. The bar I8 is provided with pins 25 of the same character as the pins 25 on the bar I2.

Figure 1 shows, in dotted lines, a different position of the lower bar I8 from the full line position of the gure. k

Figure 5 is a fragmental elevational view of a rack constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, but showing a diierent spring arrangement for one of the members of a pair of shoe engaging members of the present invention. In this figure, a bar 26 is secured rigidly to a side frame member 2'I and is provided with toe engaging members 28 and 29 which are secured as by means of supports 30 to the bar 26. A movable or sliding bar 3I is arranged to slide along the side member 21 of the frame, and is provided with pins 32 in register with the toe blocks 28 and 29. A cross bar 33 of the frame structure is secured rigidly to the side frame member 21 as at 34. Connecting the iixed bar 33 and the movable bar 3| are springs 35 which tend to urge the bar 3| toward the bar 33.

In this form of the invention, a shoe is applied to the rack by first hooking it over one of the toe blocks and then moving the bar 3l toward the toe block so that the pin thereon will enter the heel end of the shoe and when pressure is released on the bar 3|, the springs 35 will then tend to move the bar 3| in a direction to stretch the shoe and retain it on the rack. The shoe is removed by graspinga heel portion and pulling itoi a pin and unhooking it from the toe block.

Referring to Figure 3, a shoe is applied over the toe block 22 by hooking action and then is `forced over the pin 25, the spring 23 yielding sufficiently to enable application of the heel end of the shoe over the pin. The bar I2 is so adjusted with respect-to the bar l0 as to stretch the shoe supported on such member and thus maintain its shape. Such stretching of the shoe, as before stated, causes flexing of the spring support 23, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

It will be observed that the shoe rack of the present invention affords a very convenient and ready manner of supporting a plurality of pairs of shoes in a closet or other place, which rack is so constructed as to support the shoes with stretching action, thereby eliminating the need for shoe trees, as the shoe supporting members of the present invention sulciently stretch the racked shoes to straighten the same and maintain the shape of the shoes.

' The invention has been described herein more or less precisely as to details, yet it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereby, as changes may be made in the arrangement and proportion of parts, and equivalents may be substituted, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention'is claimed as follows:

l. A support for a pair of shoes including a pair of blocks adapted to pass into the toe ends of two shoes of a pair to support the shoes in side by side relation, rigid members independent of said blocks and enterable into the heel ends of said shoes to exert endwise stretch thereon, and spring mountings for said blocks adapted to yield during application and removal of shoes to and from said shoe supports.

2. A shoe rack adapted to be mounted in vertical position, a plurality of upwardly vertically extending shoe toe supports on said rack', a plurality of pins enterable into the heel ends of the shoes and'cooperating with said toe supports to provide a plurality of pairs of heel and toe supports for racked shoes, said heel supports being mounted for bodily movement towards and away from said toe supports.

3. A shoe rack adapted to be'mounted in vertical position, a plurality of vertically extending shoe toe supports on said rack, a plurality of pins enterable into the heel ends of the shoes and cooperating with said toe supports to provide a plurality of pairs of heel and toe supports for racked shoes, and said pins being mounted independently of said toe supports and for movement towards and away from said toe supports to accommodate shoes of different lengths and to exert endwise stretch to racked shoes.

4. A shoe rack structure adapted to be mounted in vertical position on a support, such as a wall or door; said structure including two slotted side members and a plurality of cross members; one of said cross members being fixed to said side members and another of said cross members being slidable along said side members; means passing through the slots of said side members for securing said anothercross member to said side members in desired adjusted position; a pair of blocks mounted on said xed cross member adapted toenter the toe ends of two shoes to support the Shoes in side by side relation; members mounted on said movable cross member enterable into the heel ends of said shoes; and the mountings of said blocks comprising springs which yield when the shoes are applied to and removed from said rack and which are adapted to exert endwisestretch on the racked shoes.

5. A shoe rack structure adapted to be mounted on a support, such as a wall or door, in substantially Vertical position; said structure including two slotted side members and a plurality of cross members; one of said cross members being fixed to said side members; another of said cross members being movable along said side members toward and away from said fixed member; means effective through the slots of said side members for securing said latter member in adjusted position on said side members; toe-engaging blocks mounted on said fixed member; a plurality of p-ins on said movable cross member adapted to cooperate with said blocks to retain shoes on said rack and adapted to enter the heel ends of racked shoes; and means mounting said blocks adapted to yield during application and removal of shoes to and from said structure; the spring mountings of said blocks being tensioned when shoes are racked to exert endwise stretch on the shoes.

6. Shoe mounting means including blocks for entering the toe ends of supported shoes and pins adapted to enter the heel ends of the supported shoes, a member carrying said pins, a member independent of said first member for carrying said blocks, said first and second mentioned members being relatively movable toward and away from each other to accommodate shoes of diierent sizes on said supporting means, means for securing said members in relatively adjusted position, and spring wires L-shaped in side ele- Vation fastened at similar ends to said last mentioned member and carrying the said blocks at their free ends, said spring wires adapted to flex when shoes are applied to and removed from said supporting means and to exert endwise stretch to shoes while on said supporting means;

7. Shoe supporting means including blocks for entering the toe ends of supported shoes and pins adapted to enter the heel ends of the supported shoes, a member carrying said pins adapted to be movable toward and away from said blocks for accommodating said means to shoes of different sizes, a member independent of said first mentioned member for carrying said blocks, and spring Wires L-shaped in side elevation fastened at similar ends to said last mentioned member and carrying the said blocks at their free ends, said spring wires adapted to flex when shoes are applied to and removed from said supporting means.

8. Shoe supporting means including blocks for entering the toe ends of supported shoes and pins adapted to enter the heel ends of the supported shoes, a member carrying said pins, a member independent of said first mentioned member for carrying said blocks, spring wires L-shaped in side elevation fastened at similar ends to said last mentioned member and carrying the said blocks at their free ends, said spring wires adapted to flex when shoes are applied to and removed from said supporting means and to exert endwise stretch to shoes While on said supporting means. 30

FRANK I. FRANCIA. 

